Manchester, England-based hip hop crew, managed by former 808 State member Martin Price, and combining five youths from Rochdale, four of Asian descent, one of Polish. The group, whose name translates as 'King' or 'Messenger' in an Arabic tongue, were pulled together after 2Phaaan (pronounced Du-farn, b. c.1967) and Jabba Da Hype (aka The Alien) saw the Rocksteady Crew performing at the Runcorn Ideal Homes Exhibition in 1982 and became embroiled in the breakdancing and graffiti movements in their neighbourhood, forming breakdance crew Dizzy Footwork the same year. They were soon joined by Hogweed, and the trio began hanging out together, before finally adding Chokadoodle and SniffaDawg (b. c.1974) to complete the line-up. Initially they performed a capella, before being signed by London records after Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong picked up on them. Legend has it that Martin Price was forced to fight each member, breaking his nose in the process, before they would allow him to become their manager. The group are backed by a production team entitled Funk Regulators, a junior back-up rap squad the Underhogs, an all-female troupe the Berserkers, a mixed race group Freaks Of Nature, and a freestyle solo rapper, Paraphinalia. They were initially reluctant to be tagged 'Asian rap', because 'We can hold our own, we don't have to advertise the fact that some of our members happen to be Asian'. They created a big impact at the 1992 In The City Music Seminar, following it with the release of a keenly anticipated debut EP, VIBE DA JOINT. Fuelled by explosive lines like 'Here comes a Paki with a bona fide line', the Kaliphz declared their intent to subvert the power of the Paki-putdown by reclaiming it, just as blacks had done with 'nigga'.

An Asian Crew from Manchester called the (Nu Konshuz) Kaliphz who had formed in 1992 had been performing at jams and putting out cassettes of their tracks. The original crew members were: Jabba Da Hype, X - Tufan (the Alien) and the Poet Saqib who were soon joined by Chok the funky Polak, Seftonik the Demonik, DJ XL, Sniffa Dawg N.A.D, and 2 Phaaan (Tufan). In 93 producer Martin Price got them signed to London for whom they released a few 12"s. Whilst recording their LP they were joined by another member Wiz who had parted from Breaking the Illusion. The Album 'Seven Deadly Sins' followed in 1995. After some critical acclaim but not enough success for London, Pete Tong their label's A&R gave them to Jive. Pete Waterman, took over their production, they changed up their name to Kaleef and under the big labels pressure they released some almost boy-band material, but this was interspersed with dope Hip Hop classics and they put out another LP in 1997 '53rd State Of Mind'.

And he designed a room at Electroacoustics Sounds System studios to produce Kaliphz's 1996 album:

Doctor Doctor, you are the one living in Manchester, you're at the source. We rely on you for this kind of info.
Last we heard was from a very enthousiastic A&R man last year when there was rumour of him working together with MC Tunes - never heard from him again. The bare site was http://www.skrewface.com/
Over to you, take it away Doctor!

Ok, some of you might be wondering, 'Who the heck is Martin
Price?'...well, he was one of the original members of pioneering
Mancunian band 808 State. He was part of the brains behind
monster Ambient House smash 'Pacific State' and the edgy cut and
paste Acid House classic 'Newbuild'. His new management recently
got in touch with me and I've been able to grab an exclusive
interview.

SNS: OK, the first question on the lips of all 808 State fans
who have not heard from you in ages is, what happened to you?
Why did you leave 808 and what have you been doing the past
decade?

MARTIN: Hi Steve.
Besides being nutted by the reality of family and personal
pressures - the state of showbiz, promotion, gigs and glitz into
which we appeared to be heading (as 808 State) were not the road
to follow for a studio nutcase like me. Being the founding
member of EASTERN BLOC RECORDS I was hearing up to date import
tracks from all over the world and amongst these records were
some of the best tunes I had ever heard. I wanted to be making
better records than them or at least their equal. DJ culture was
at its rampant height and the politics of the scene that had
started making big money was as cut throat as anything could be
and having been the guy who sold these brilliant records to the
public and DJ's, I could see clearly how toes up the situation I
was in with 808 and Madchester Ha, ha, ha. I was totally into
club culture and all I ever wanted to do was be in the studio
making music.
I could see the record company culture was not ready to deal
with what we did and I gave it the best go over the years (2 or
3 ? ), with 2 DJ's in the band (Andy Barker and Darren
Partington) who were doing their own nights and competing
outside 808 for gigs. I could see that we were almost in
competition with each other and that brings problems of getting
your own stuff played in the arena.
I was pleased for them being popular and getting loads of extra
work and don't hold them to blame, as we were all chasing our
tails all over the shop. Never having had any money before, the
business side was difficult for all 4 of us, not forgetting MC
TUNES. That was ravetastic England.
Since the split I have always done my own stuff but I was the
guy who had run away from 808 being under contract etc. and
getting up and running again in a showbiz arena that screamed
JUST GIVE US ANOTHER HIT! constantly I was just collecting up a
backlog of material of any style and composition that I thought
I wanted to do. I knew that I'd done a couple of big tunes but I
also knew they were never going to be heard outside of a few
friends. My attempts to interest the record execs were met, yet
again, with: WRITE US ANOTHER LIKE PACIFIC STATE. I am also not
much of a party ligger, going to see other bands just for the
sake of being seen. Every fucker developed their own agenda and
just wanted to go for the cash, I wanted to stay in studio mould
full time which now at last I can do.

SNS: Was there any kind of friction in the group when you
decided to leave or was it pretty friendly?

MARTIN: To split was intensely upsetting for both parties. I
never felt any animosity towards the others. I still miss them
and, corny as it sounds, I love them all.

SNS: Electronic music has moved on a bit since you were part of
808 State, so I'm wondering how you see its evolution.

MARTIN: How do I see music's evolution? Well, there are so many
different categories and directions and influences. Tempo's go
up, tempo's go down, boy band/girl band British pop style is
dreadfully out of control and at the moment the Yanks are
kicking ass big time in all categories. All music movements that
have had a real social impact eventually end up flabby and
tired because of record companies not knowing just what they've
got and why they are so flavour of the month. Mercury music
awards etc don't achieve if they do not sell to Americans. There
will always be the underground and technology is allowing more
and more people with PC's and MAC's etc to produce up to a good
standard of music but as for selling it..........it's a buyers
market. People should always take risks !

SNS: One of the things that many poeple do not understand is the
close relationship between technology and electronic music.
We've been witnessing the explosion of software based studios in
recent years and with that has come the emergence of a new
underground or independent scene. What are your thoughts on it?

MARTIN: Paradox rocks! Reason makes me cheerful. Shareware is
everything. Laptop studios can take away the pressure of having
to create your music behind the garret walls of your workplace.
You can work in the light and airyness of ANYWHERE you want to.
I have been in and out of loads of software studios and there
seems to be something good in nearly all of them. One day maybe
all of them will end up in the same program and I will be full
of delight.
Cubase went dodgy as soon as it turned into Cubase audio. Nuendo
is OK for time stretch and pitch stretch but apart from that it
sucks ass big time. I love the internet for research etc but I
think there are far too many crap drum loops and samples given
to you on a plate. Half of the fun is always found
scuffling about trying to unearth killer loops and sounds from
the unlikeliest sources. I love vinyl and will never stop
looking in junk shops in the hope of finding some unusual shit.
The development of PC music is where the future for dance
experimentation lies. Process is everything.
PS... Windows operating systems are wank !

SNS: What is Graham Massey really like? If he's anything like
his musical ideas, he'd be a bit kooky I think!

MARTIN: Is Graham Massey kooky ? YES !

SNS: What does the future hold for you?

MARTIN: The future for me is to carry on making stuff that I
like in the vain hope that 20 squillion others will too. I'm in
the process of a project called MR SKREWFACE featuring MC TUNES
- as soon as he recovers from his broken ankle that I gave him
for not remembering my birthday...........that'll learn
him! I'm also hopeful that some unheard stuff will see the light
of day as I have never been as prolific without an outlet. Maybe
I shall give away a free compilation?

I was the guy that dreamed up the idea of eastern bloc records, it was me that gave Martin his job at the then earwig records as it was first known, it was me that signed the deal to get us onto the Oldham St front and change the name to eastern bloc records.
The eastern bloc records name came from a friend of mine.
Martin Price is a pathological liar, the one corrrunt theme that runs through his life is that he never comes up with the idea's, he relies on others for that, then takes the credit.

Am i just being bitter? not at all, i know have two little boy's, a beautiful wife, a nice house in the country and some truly great friends, something Martin has probably never enjoyed, if i had stayed at e bloc i would probably have ended up like Martin or even, god forbid, J. Berry.

So there you go, now you know, not that anyone will care, just makes me feel better for getting it off my chest.